Practical Game-Preserving. 114 



hedgerows belonging to the coverts. The reasons are several, 

 and sufficiently plain; but if the harbour they offer to 

 vermin, the assistance to trespassers and poachers, and the 

 interference they offer to shooting be mentioned, the neces- 

 sity for open sides to the coverts will be apparent. Of 

 course, in exposed situations, a stout and high hedgerow 

 serves a useful purpose upon the bad-weather side, but 

 even then a fringe of dwarf beech, planted as a protection 

 hedge between the wood and the actual hedgerow, serves 

 an adequate purpose. 



Almost without exception, the best hedge for game- 

 coverts is formed of whitethorn or some other quick-grow- 

 ing, thorn-bearing plant, such as Myrobalan Plum, or 

 similar suitable productions. On the outer side a ditch 

 should be dug, but distant enough from the hedge not to 

 interfere with its growth and subsequent development. 

 The nature of the material employed, and the manner of 

 forming the hedges, are usually governed by local consider- 

 ations, however, and it is usually advisable to follow the 

 practice which shows itself to be most suitable and 

 successful. 



Old straggling, rabbit-worked hedgerows are the worst 

 possible boundaries to game-coverts, and should always 

 be thoroughly and permanently put in order, or be im- 

 proved out of existence and replaced in the manner 

 previously described. For all that, I suppose they will 

 be allowed to continue to exist. There is, however, no 

 reason why they should not be maintained in proper con- 

 dition, and also, under almost all circumstances, why the 

 rabbits should not be cleared out of them, or, anyhow, be 

 kept under severe control. 



